Combination dispenser and bath toy



Jan. 23, 1968 F. J. GRAFE 3,364,617

COMBINATION DISPENSER AND BATH TOY Filed Dec. 22, 1964 I NVEN TOR.

5'61 Cf. qraj'e ZYZZZIWQys United States Patent 3,364,617 COMBINATION DISPENSER AND BATH TOY Fred J. Grafe, 6-22 Mansfield Drive, Fair Lawn, NJ. 07410 Filed Dec. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 420,347 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-95) The present invention relates broadly to articles for use in the bath and, more particularly, to bath aid dispensing toys.

It is well known that children reluctant to take baths can be encouraged to do so by providing them with bath toys to provide diversion. Older children, particularly girls, enjoy having their bath glamorized or made more appealing by the use of bubble bath compositions which provide large volumes of suds, often colored and scented, which float on the surface of the water in the bath tub. Adults, particularly women, also enjoy the luxury of a bubble bath and in addition use other bath aid compositions which are intended to have a beneficial or cosmetic effect on the skin of the user. Therefore, it is apparent that a substantial demand exists for bath toys and dispensers of bath aid compositions.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to supply this demand with combination bath toys and bath aid dispensers.

It is another object of the invention to provide selfpropelled bath toys which dispense a bath aid as they move under or over the surface of the bath.

It is still another object of the invention to provide combination bath toy and bath aid dispensing devices which are rechargeable with bath aid composition after use.

The above and other objects of this invention will be understood from a reading of the following description of typical illustrative embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a combination bath toy and bath aid dispenser of the invention, partly in section, which shows a bath aid-containing cartridge mounted in said toy;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of mounting means for the bath aid-containing cartridge, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of another combination bath toy and bath aid dispenser of the invention, partly in section, which shows another means of mounting a bath aid-containing cartridge in such a toy.

Similar characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the specification and drawing.

The bath articles of the present invention comprise in combination a bath toy, an aerosol cartridge containing a bath aid composition, means for mounting the aerosol cartridge in the toy and means for discharging the contents of the cartridge into the bath.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 a toy boat 10, has fixed therein a mounting bracket 11 adapted to receive and hold an aerosol cartridge 12 in an inclined position with respect to the water 13 in the bath. The aerosol cartridge comprises a suitable container such a a lipped, wide mouth glass or metal vial or bottle having a puncturable closure made up of rubber cap liner 14 fastened over the mouth of the bottle by means of a metal cap 15 crimped over the lip of the bottle. The metal cap 15 has an opening 16 therein through which the rubber liner 14 is exposed. The cartridge contains a liquid bath aid composition 17, such as bubble bath, and an aerosol propellant therefor which may be wholly or partially dissolved in the liquid bath aid but which, in any case, has a substantial vapor pressure in a head space 18 provided above the liquid level in the cartridge.

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Hollow needle means 19 having a sharp point 20 is inserted into the opening 16 in cap 15 and forced through the rubber cap liner 14 thus puncturing the cartridge 12 and providing communication between the cartridge and a discharge port which in the illustrated embodiments is the exhaust pipe 21 of the toy boat. It should be noted that the cartridge 12 is disposed so that the puncturable seal 14 is beneath the level of the bath aid 17 in the cartridge. This is essential since if the point 20 of the needle means 19 were inserted into the head space 18 above the level of the bath aid composition 17, the pressure in the cartridge would be released without discharge of the bath aid.

It may be seen that as the pressure in the cartridge 12 forces the bath aid 17 out through the hollow needle 19 and exhaust pipe 21 into the bath, the boat 10 will be propelled over the surface of the bath by the equal and opposite force of reaction to the force of discharge of the bath aid.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, a toy boat 10 has a plastic mounting block 22 fixed in the bottom. A hollow needle means 19 is embedded in the plastic block 22. The sharp point 20 of the needle 19 is disposed to emerge vertically from the mounting block 22. The discharge end of the needle 19 is connected to a hollow conduit extending aft to the exhaust pipe 21 which extends through the transom of the boat. The cartridge 12 is pushed downward over the upstanding point 20 of the needle 19 so that it punctures the rubber cap liner 14 and permits discharge of the bath aid 17 through the needle and out of the exhaust pipe 21 to propel the boat and dispense bath aid into the bath.

Although the exhaust pipe 21 is shown in both FIGS. 1 and 3 to be below the surface of the bath, this is not essential since the bath aid will fall into the bath and the boat will be propelled even if the discharge is above the surface of the Water.

The bath aid compositions, which are conventional and may be of any suitable type in liquid or foam form, include bubble bath, water softeners, skin conditioners, and water scenting or coloring agents among others. Any suitable pressurizing agent may be included in the cartridge with the bath aid and may be in solid, liquid or gaseous form. Suitable gases include nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other non-toxic fixed gases inert with respect to the bath aid. The chlorinated fluorocarbons known as Freons are the preferred pressurizing agents, however, since they are non-toxic, readily available, easy to handle and inert with respect to all common bath aid compositions. The principal advantage of the Freons, however, is that they are normally in liquid form at ambient temperatures, and are miscible with and soluble or partially soluble in liquid bath aid compositions. Therefore, Freons maintain a relatively constant vapor pressure in the head space above the liquid in the cartridge as the liquid bath aid is discharged. This is due to the fact that the liquid Freon vaporizes as necessary to maintain a constant vapor pressure in the enlarging head space. Therefore, the vapor pressure in the head space remains essentially constant as long as any liquid Freon remains in the cartridge. This assures maintenance of sufiicient pressure in the cartridge to assure complete expulsion of its content of bath aid. Any suitable pressure may be employed in the cartridge but it has been found that a pressure in the range of about lS- lbs./in. is usually adequate. The rate of expulsion of the bath aid and the speed of the bath toy, of course, varies with the pressure and the size of the discharge orifice.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art the principle of the present invention is equally applicable to any type of bath toy for propulsion either on the surface or beneath the surface of the water. Among other suitable bath toys may be mentioned submarines, fish, sea rnonsters, whales, boat of all kinds, sea planes, deep sea divers, scuba divers, water skiers etc. Any bath toy may be provided with means for holding an aerosol cartridge containing a bath aid, hollow needle means for punctur ing the cartridge below the head space therein and a discharge port for the bath aid, which will permit dispensing of the bath aid to cause propulsion of the toy on or through the bath water.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the present invention provides novel combination bath toy-bath aid dispensers which produce a novel and unique result in that they simultaneously entertain the user and distribute bath aid throughout the bath.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof shown in the drawings, these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

1. A bath article comprising in combination, a bath toy, an aerosol cartridge containing a liquid bath aid' under pressure, means for mounting said cartridge in said toy, and hollow needle means mounted in said bath toy 2 with an open end thereof disposed so as to be in contact with water in the bath when the toy is in use, said aero- 5 toy is placed in a bath and said seal is punctured by said needle means, the seal is below the level of said liquid bath aid in said cartridge, said hollow needle means thus providing a conduit for flow of said bath aid under pressure from said cartridge into the bath, whereby said discharging bath aid causes said bath toy to be propelled through the bath While dispensing bath aid therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 2,631,757 3/1953 Alexander 222-82 2,965,267 12/1960 Darr 222-88 3,229,420 1/1966 Dias l2411 X FOREIGN PATENTS 20 973,971 9/ 1950 France.

672,870 5/1952 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD C. PINKHAIA, F. BARRY SHAY, a Examiners.

T. ZACK, L. J. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A BATH ARTICLE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A BATH TOY, AN AEROSOL CARTRIDGE CONTAINING A LIQUID BATH AID UNDER PRESSURE, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID CARTRIDGE IN SAID TOY, AND HOLLOW NEEDLE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID BATH TOY WITH AN OPEN END THEREOF DISPOSED SO AS TO BE IN CONTACT WITH WATER IN THE BATH WHEN THE TOY IS IN USE, SAID AEROSOL CARTRIDGE HAVING A SEAL PUNCTURABLE BY SAID NEEDLE MEANS AND CONTAINING HEAD SPACE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF LIQUID BATH AID THEREIN, SAID CARTRIDGE BEING DISPOSED IN SAID TOY BY SAID CARTRIDGE MOUNTING MEANS SO THAT WHEN SAID TOY IS PLACED IN A BATH AND SAID SEAL IS PUNCTURED BY SAID NEEDLE MEANS, THE SEAL IS BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID LIQUID BATH AID IN SAID CARTRIDGE, SAID HOLLOW NEEDLE MEANS THUS PROVIDING A CONDUIT FOR FLOW OF SAID BATH AID UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID CARTRIDGE INTO THE BATH, WHEREBY SAID DISCHARGING BATH AID CAUSES SAID BATH TOY TO BE PROPELLED THROUGH THE BATH WHILE DISPENSING BATH AID THEREIN. 